Who to Choose?
by Anna Marie Pryde
Summary: It could've been such a perfect day for the Rogue-ish Recluse. Could've is a key word here. She had a cheesy romance, there was a cool breeze coming in through the window. All that could've made it better was isolation. But, Kitty decides to have a "girl session." Agony only increases as the girls rope Rogue into the creation of their fictional "Mr. Perfect."
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Quite truly. (weeping silently in corner).

The light poured in from my balcony window. I sniffed at the air finding it sweet and refreshing. Happiness should've been complete with my new romance novel that I swiped from Kitty's backpack when she wasn't looking, but, as is usual, there were disturbances in my peace and isolation.

"Huuuuhhhhhhh" sighed said annoying roommate. "I like never really pictured it that way Jean. I always thought that Scott would like totally have these bright cerulean blue eyes, you know, right?" The silicon valley, computer genius flicked her ponytail to the side emphasizing her point on the perfect eye color for Cyclops.

As is my life of torment, Kitty had DEMANDED that a "girly and super-ultra female session was in order because of like the dorkiness of all the guys lately." Her words. Not mine. Never mine.

Jean and Kitty were lounging on her bed leaning off the right side so that their hair brushed against the fluffy and sickeningly pink shag carpet. Amara, being the princess she was, sat cross legged with the straightest posture near their heads. Betsy, Jubilee, Tabitha all lounged around the powerpuff girls. Jubes and Boom Boom were getting impatient with all of the dreamy eyes talk and starting to get twitchy with their explosive mutations.

"If I have to suffer through a whole hour of you guys going on and on about Mr. Perfect's true eye color, I'm going to kill myself. Honestly, I will do it and take all of you with me." Boom Boom stated, while she started pacing around the room letting power crackle between her fingers as she grandly gestured. She plopped to the ground and dramatically sighed.

"I'm with her too! Let's talk about something a little bit more exciting like the REALLY hunky guys on T.V. That's what girl talk is supposed to be like. Right?" A few agreements passed in murmuring around the females as Jubes popped another piece of bubble gum into her mouth and spun in Kitty's study chair.

"Well, like who do you guys want to talk about then?" More flopping and gesturing came from preppy Kitty.

"You know, I always thought that the one wolf guy from that show "Beauty and the Beast" was quite attractive. Talk about eyes." Amara sighed just a little at the thought of her hunk, letting her posture soften just slightly. A collective squeal was solicited from the girls, as I groaned and slammed a pillow over my head.

Que Boom Boom. "Raarrrhh, the Princess has got a little fetish over half-naked animalistic men. Now we're getting somewhere!" A peek at Amara showed the mutant as bright and red in the face as the magma she could produce. Poor Girl.

"No! I just said that I thought that his eyes were cute! That's all," screamed the peeved girl. Laughter erupted from the rest of the girls raking against my ears as Jean and Kitty cackled while Amara went straight to tackling Tabitha upon starting up mating calls for the girls.

Laura was in the middle of the room and had watched with little interest at the girl talk before her. She looked to me after seeing Amara give Boomsy a good jab in the ribs. "Eyes matter this much in picking an appropriate mate?" she questioned me. I sighed, nodding a little and propping my head up against my abused pillow. Oh, if only the other girls could be as normal as Laura. My life would certainly be easier and I could read in peace.

"Well, ladies…" heels clomped across the floor. Wanda. Salvation! If anyone could save me from the perkiness it was gothic Wanda. "It appears that we need a list." Click of the door behind her and a mischievousness grin on her face dashed my hopes. Head in pillow, I weeped silently for my fate.

"Ah list 'bout what, sugah?" I just had to ask, with sighing for dramatic effect. Wanda with her gleaming eyes and quirk of her lips, could have shut the whole 'dreamy girly session' down quickly with a flick of her wrists. Some rain pouring through the window. Electricity going out spontaneously. Blazing hot air rushing through the cooling ducts! She could have done anything her powers of probability to save me, but instead she had a game to play.

"Well, Rogue," she said sauntering over near the foot of my bed. "what else would we, teenage females make rather than one of the hottest qualities of men."

Kill me now. Right now. My eyes got wide with shock. Wanda's smile just curled more at the lips, and I forced my head back into the pillow with a groan. This is not what I needed today, on what could have been a perfect afternoon of cool breezes, cheesy romances, and isolation. Nope. Not today.

"That's, like the most perfect idea! We definitely should make a list of our favorite part of our favorite guys, to, like, create Mr. Perfect!" Kitty swooned over herself at that las "Mr. Perfect" Gagh.

"Great idea, Kits." Tabby was sauntering around the room now, pacing with a curious gleam in her eyes. "We can talk about all the 'wonderful' parts of the perfect man." Jubes just laughed at that, while Ms. Proper rolled her eyes, and the Princess just stiffened.

"I'll look for paper and pen." Wonderful, oblivious Laura, just trying to be helpful and completely miss Tabby's naughty little point.

"Well," purred Wanda, my bringer of doom. It looked like she was going to take control of this little situation. I could only pray that she wouldn't somehow bring up a certain no-good, sleazebag cajun. Of course she would; who am I kiddin'? Doom, right?! "Let's get down to business shall we?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Come on shooting stars. I'm waiting!

¨Awright," I started, getting up. There was no way that I was gonna be stuck in the middle of this mess. ¨If y'all are gonna beh lahke that all girly an' prissy then Ah'll jus' be headin' out naw.¨ As I was gathering my stuff, I was just sure that I saw a glimmer and flash in Scarlet Witch's direction. Always makin' trouble; Wanda must've just been in a mood today. In her defense it could be her week this month.

¨But, like, Rogue!" squealed Kitty, rushing to my side. Her pink bunny slipping her slipping and squeaking all the way across the floor, warranting a grumble from Laura with her sensitive hearing. ¨You can like totally NOT leave yet. Come on, we're, like, having girl time. Please?!¨ She clung to my arms as she pleaded her case and slid to the floor.

¨Gaah. Kitty? Listen carefully.¨ I brought her up on her knees and bent down to look into her pleading eyes and clasped hands. ¨No.¨

¨But, like why?!¨ Kitty pleaded, kind of screechy like. Now I was in for it.

¨Really, Rogue, you can spare yourself for just a bit of girl-time.¨ Miss Perfect primped up on Kitty's bed having to defend the interests of poor, injured Kits. Sometimes I really wished that she would just jump in a hole the way she carried herself with such an air of arrogance and superiority. ¨I heard that.¨ Really hated her sometimes.

¨Yah are nawt helpin' yah case.¨ I grumbled, backing towards the door more and more.

Betsy started inching towards me now. Too much attention; never a good thing.

¨Come now, love, you know that you can give in to just a bit owf girly chit-chat.¨ These were the words of the British, but her eyes (really her glare) said that 'if I'm havin' to suffer through this then there is no possible way that you are going to get off the hook.'

¨Well, girls,¨ Boom Boom started gaining control of the room again as she seized the pen and paper that Laura had finally located. Tabby shantied her way down to the magma princess as she started her inquiries. Amara was a pleasant target to shoot for first. Easily embarrassed and hopelessly enamored with that idiot Bobby. Cute, but much too boyish, and again: Stupid. Capital S.

Betsy hadn't really allowed me the chance to flee, instead grabbing my wrist and dragging me down into the horrible depths of pink, shaggy carpet and nail polish fumes. Wanda had worked herself over to Betsy and me. I scooted towards Laura. If anyone could save me from the frills it was the kick-butt, camo-wearing stoic.

She nodded as I sat my butt down next to her, scowling all the way at the forced girl talk.

Jean and Kitty were kicking their calves across the bed as Amara turned as red as her magma. There was squealing that grated across my ears, so bad no matter how hard I tried to block it out.

¨What is the hottest aspect of a guy for you, fiery?¨ Asked Tabby asking the question so seriously, pen in hand looking like she was head reporter Lois Lane or something from that show about superman.

¨Well- I don't, you see...¨ stumbled Amara until she sputtered and died out under the intense and watchful stares.

¨Come on, Princess!¨ Cried Jubes. ¨Even I know that a great guy's got to have a rock-hard six pack! It's just basic... and what I read from _Hearts_ magazine.¨ That got a few chuckles out of Betsy, Wanda and the girls. I guess it was just a little funny.

¨Wonderful input, Miss Lee.¨ retorted Boom Boom, still in her reporter persona, at least it was a little more down-to-earth than Tabby's regular, explosive personality. Nothing was subtle with that girl.

¨Like totally, Amara! We all SO know that you definitely have the hots for a certain freezer head around here.¨ remarked Kitty. She was just thriving in all the girliness and pink. It was her element.

¨Yep.¨ muttered Jean, slightly rubbing her temples, eyes closed. ¨Big blue eyes, solid cleft chin, boy-next-door vibe, relaxed… wait...really,- Funny?¨ Trouble was definitely coming; Amara's hands were starting to glow a deep red and the temperature had just jumped about fifteen degrees.

¨I am royalty!¨ Princess shouted. ¨And, I will not have my mind probed and revealed for the whole world to see!¨

¨Sorry, sorry!¨ Jean was definitely back, miss goody-goody. ¨You were just broadcasting so loudly. I really was trying to block it out, but your thoughts were all over me. Suffocating.¨ Jean was just in shock and exhausted from having tried so hard to repel Amara's affections. Tensions settled as the Princess let the fire out and apologized for her outburst.

I'd relaxed just a little. I certainly couldn't leave without first draining all of the girls, and the consequences of having all of their psyches running rampant with their frills and hormones in my head filled me with dread. Escape was out.

Observing the scene, Betsy and Wanda were lounging about and just looking amused at their friends reactions, smirking to each other knowingly every once in a while. (They worried me sometimes). Laura picked absentmindedly at a loose strand at the edge of her black tee. Kitty beamed with Jean beside her in this ¨normal girl¨ experience; she so yearned for a normal life with light-hearted friends and not worrying about accidentally phasing through said friend's arm and causing some emotional trauma. This was definitely good for Kit no matter how much I hated it. Amara, for all of her proper-princess appearance, was actually beginning to loosen up and have some fun; it wasn't every day that normal ¨peasants¨ would kid with and poke fun at the monarch who could have them beheaded in her own country. Jubes and Boom Boom do not need explaining.

I relaxed a little, shifting my legs so that I was resting my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around my calves. At least everybody was having a little fun.

¨But… really, luv,¨ uttered Betsy tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ¨Funny? Bobby actually being humorous and not pulling some prank or remark about gas?¨ Back to red for the princess.

¨Well,¨ muttered Amara. ¨I think that he is kind of funny.¨

¨Funny. Definitely a priority.¨ remarked Tabby jotting down more notes on her pad.

¨You said it, Boom Boom.¨ sighed Jubes without thinking. ¨You know who's really funn? Gambit.¨ I sat straight up. Wide and awake. _His_ name just put me on edge, the way he was always under hand and foot, much more so than I thought appropriate or necessary. He made my insides curl, not in the good way. I was sure of that.

"Now there's a subject." said Wanda, pretending not to notice my reaction. "Gambit certainly is funny. Though, not in the conventional way." She was up to something, and it made me want to writhe in my own skin.

"Really, Wanda," said Betsy dramatically. "Now in what way would Gambit be _un_conventionally funny? I just thought that he was drop-dead gorgeous, with those abs you mentioned Jubilee. And the way that his hair falls over the top of his forehead into his eyes when the corners of his mouth quirk up." I felt heat rising up in my face. Stupid. It was just… hatred. Yeah. Loathing, even. So, the guy might have had a pack of abs, and his eyes might have been slightly hypnotizing, but that was definitely from his mutation. Unfair advantage. His smile might have made me bite my cheek out of ...shock. And, he might have smelled rich like smoke mixing together with that cajun spice and sweat. Not my fault for noticing, he was just always there! Still...loathing.

It was just the perfect moment, as I was fuming, for Laura to turn to me and remark "Rogue, I think you have a fever." Yeah, just great to have an innocent stoic for a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. Gosh, Im going to be a master at saying this!

Crap.

¨AAAAAAHHHHHHH!¨ shrieked Kitty, beaming. ¨You, like, totally are SO red! Even redder than Amara!¨

¨Hey!¨

¨Sorry, Princess,¨ pleaded Kitty, still ecstatic. Jean just shimmied her way down the bed more.

¨It's kind of obvious that you and Gambit do have some sort of… electric attraction, Rogue. You really shouldn't blame them for noticing,¨ said Jean quirking her lips up. With ¨Mr. Perfect¨ as her own boyfriend, fairytale romance and all, Jean surely didn't believe there was any kind of twisted attraction happening between myself and that swamp-rat; everything had to be in line, structured so that it made sense. I wasn't structured; neither was Gambit, that low-life sleazebag.

She didn't believe that I could really find somebody. I felt a pang somewhere in my chest. The laughing continued. I stared around at the girls, even Laura was laughing a bit. Rare thing, too. Apparently my humiliation was just the key to get some feeling out of the stoic. Great. I rolled my eyes looking at the window.

¨I mean, really, Rogue...¨ Jean had the whole room just mystified with the ¨hormonal mess¨ that Remy and I were supposedly stuck in. Gag me.

They all knew that Jean was lying. They had too. I couldn't even touch; that nasty swamp-rat just like toying with me.

¨Oooooohhhhh, I am loving this,¨ muttered Boom Boom, ¨So, questions, Miss Dark and Dangerous. What is it that is MOST attractive about Mr. Sheer Hotness to you? Is it his eyes, and how they swirl? I've always thought that they were kinda creepy, but hey I'm not one to judge, girl. Or the way he kisses? I'm sure that you guys have contrived _some_ fantastic way to get over the make-out session/coma problem?¨ Tabby kept inching her way up to me, and the room got way too stuffy too fast. Betsy and Wanda were cackling like the maniacal monsters that they were. Even Amara was giggling along with the other girls all leaning forward to stare at my reaction. So, humiliation breaks stoics and gets princesses to step down off of their pedestals. I felt the cold breeze from the window on my blazing skin. It cooled me some, thankfully, smelling sweetly of vanilla but more alluring was the freedom it offered. Away from this ¨hormonal mess.¨

¨Kitty,¨ I said as solemnly as possible. ¨I HATE your 'girl time.'¨ My eyes were steely as they caught on to Kitty's glee, but tears quickly filled up her own eyes, eliciting chastisement and insults about how ¨inconsiderate¨ and ¨unappreciative¨ I was when Kitty was simply trying to get us all to grow closer as a family.

¨Now, now, girls,¨ stated Wanda, sly as a cat, ¨We just hit a sensitive subject with Rogue and her romantic affiliations. She's positively love-sick, just painful to have it acknowledged by so many dear and caring friends.¨ Her words dripped with venom, enraging me. Her smile, so sweet to the other girls, appeared acidic. She was playing a dangerous game, one that I wasn't going to react to anymore. It was the last straw; I got up quickly, throwing the other girls off of me and abandoning Kitty to the care of her ¨dear friends¨ without apologizing.

Composure. I had to gain some semblance of composure. It wasn't like I even thought of Gambit that way. He was more of an irritating grain of sand in the boot that never really left. No one loves sand in their boots. I certainly didn't!

Priorities, though. Kitty was hurt; that was my fault.

I turned back to face the x-girls, now shooting daggers at me with their eyes, and replied, ¨Kitty, Ahm sorry tha' Ah hurt yah. Ah didn't mean to, but yah are wrong abou' my ¨hormonal mess. And Boom Boom,...¨

Deep breath, and ¨Nothing about Remy is attractive to me.¨ Deadpan. Right there. I couldn't mind smirking on the inside, _they weren't going to get anything out of me_.

All were silent for what seemed like half a minute. Time stood still as the girls stared, trying to peer into the depths of my soul and figure if I was telling the truth or not. They had nothing on me. All the confused and focused looks kind of made me want to crack up inside. At least Kits wasn't bawling her eyes out anymore. _Yeah, nothing could happen between me and him._ I knew it.

A little laugh bubbled in the back of my throat and mingled with a heavy sigh.

¨Lies.¨ mumbled Jean. My head whipped around so fast, furious that she accused me of having feelings.

¨Like, what is it Rogue?¨ questioned Kitty, inquisitive and wide-eyed. ¨Does she have something on her face?¨ They all bore their eyes into Jean's face looking for some imperfection. They wouldn't find one. I took one look back on all the girls. Tabby trying to draw attention to her own face, Jubes jumping up and down trying to get a good view of Jean's face. Even Laura and Amara were exchanging looks and peering at Jean. Well, at least they weren't looking at me anymore. Isolation was just better for me; that way, I wouldn't hurt anyone.

Jean...

_Must have been that telepathic link from when I absorbed her powers._

I got up and started heading back to my closet. That nail polish fumes really started to mess with my head. Just had to grab my book and make a little flight through the window. The light breeze still mingled with the gauzy curtains; vanilla wafted along with the breeze. It would be so peaceful on the roof, a great place to read and (maybe, fingers crossed) find some solitude. I glared back at the girls; there certainly wasn't going to be any of that around here for a while. _Where was that book? _ I leaned back over and started rummaging through bottom drawer. It was the only place where nobody could find my books. If Kitty or Wanda found out I read romance novels, I would never hear the end of it.

Wanda. Wait. Where was she? Now that I think about it, where was Betsy?I remember that they were comforting Kitty just a few minutes ago, but now there was only Kitty, Tabby, Jubes, Amara, and Laura staring at Jean. Those two were up to something. I spun around fast as lightning only to come face to face with that familiar smirk followed by a crooked nose and those two swirling eyes, red on black.

_Great. Just great_.


End file.
